An Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar in Springfield scored six serious food-code violations during an inspection conducted by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department on March 30.

The "priority" violations included dirty kitchen knives that were stored on magnets, which themselves were dirty.

The health department also found dishwasher flaps "on clean side of machine not clean," according to the text of a report.

The department's report documented that a food cooler was running a few degrees over the mandated temperature limit of 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

The report also mentioned ice buildup on "prep line" coolers that "is scraping and falling into open food."

The report also noted less serious "nonpriority" violations including cleaning tasks that needed to be performed and a worn-out cutting board that needed to be replaced.

All violations were corrected in time for a mandated April 3 reinspection, health department records show.

"We always note that we have reinspections that are part of our process," said Erica Little, administrator of environmental health for the department. "That's part of the food code — that we reinspect with any type of violations."

Little noted that "priority" violations are designated "priority" because they are more likely to make members of the public sick, but that there are degrees of seriousness even among that group of relatively serious violations.

She also described a positive relationship between the local health department and Springfield restaurants.

"In most instances," Little said, "and I'd say almost all, we have a really good relationship with our food establishments. They want to correct (violations) — not only for us, but to correct for their consumers. We don't have to prompt them to take care of it, in many instances."

The News-Leader reviewed health department reports dating back to 2012 covering that individual Applebee's store. The reports show that the restaurant's franchise location at 2430 N. Glenstone Ave. — one of 1,936 Applebee's in the United States and 52 in Missouri — has a history of scoring multiple "priority," or more serious, violations of the Missouri Food Code.

For example, on Dec. 1, 2017, that Applebee's had just one "priority" violation. That routine inspection was the one that took place immediately prior to the March 30 inspection, when the store had six serious violations.

Meanwhile, different routine inspections in 2013 resulted in one "priority" violation apiece, as did a similar inspection in 2012.

The size of a restaurant facility — measured in its square footage, volume of food produced and employees using the space — can have an important effect on how a restaurant scores in health department inspections, Little said.

"It is our job to go in and do the inspection," Little said, and the health department makes a record of violations — which are frequently corrected on the spot by restaurant staff.

"Does that mean that they'll find them on a daily basis?" Little asked rhetorically, referring to restaurants policing their own kitchens for cleanliness and other food-code standards.

"I can't tell you what their own internal systems are."

A Springfield Applebee's on the other side of town has a very different health-inspection history.

During 2017, the Applebee's at 1855 E. Primrose St. had three routine health inspections.

In January 2017, it scored no priority violations. In May and November, it had two priority violations at each inspection.

Health department records dating back to 2013 show that the Primrose Street Applebee's scored no more than three priority violations at any given inspection.

With two phone calls, the News-Leader sought comment from Apple Central LLC, an Applebee's franchisee based in the Kansas City area that appears to control the Applebee's in the Springfield area. Apple Central has not yet responded.

With two emails, the News-Leader also reached out to Dine Brands, the California-based parent of the Applebee's and IHOP franchise chains. Dine Brands has not yet responded.

The report stated, "Company and third-party representatives make both scheduled and unannounced inspections of franchised restaurants to ensure that only approved products are in use and that our prescribed operations practices and procedures are being followed.”

The report noted that same-store Applebee's sales were down 5.3 percent in 2017, even after factoring in improvements that took place over the final three months of the year.

Applebee's has also been in the news several times in recent months for other reasons.

Observed: Prep line coolers have ice buildup when the lids are open the ice is scraping and falling into open food. Required: Prevent adulteration of food from equipment. Open food voluntarily discarded. Recommend removing food product at night, there has been a change that prep items stay on line. Corrected.

Observed: Knives on magnet still have food debris on cutting surfaces and magnet is not clean. Required: Food contact surfaces should be clean to sight and touch after cleaning and sanitizing. Corrected by cleaning.

Observed: Dishwasher flaps on clean side of machine are not clean. Required: Food contact surfaces should be clean. The flaps touch clean utensils and ware.

Observed: Powder chlorine packets stored next to and touching glass mugs. Required: Store chemicals away from ware and utensils, not over or next to in order to prevent contamination. Corrected by storing under bar area.

Observed: New hose connected at dish line faucet with no backflow prevention device. Required: Install an approved backflow prevention device as required under 5-202.14 of code. Corrected by removing temporarily, manager will obtain device prior to reconnecting.

Nonpriority Violations Found: 2.

Observed: Compressor on south prep line cooler is not clean, small bar cooler is not clean, dish flaps on dirty side of dish machine are not clean, walls and light fixtures in walk-in cooler have mold type buildup and are not clean. Required: Non-food contact surfaces of equipment should be cleaned as often as necessary to prevent the buildup of debris.